Here’s something quick and easy to throw together. This meal was born from one of those evenings where my spirit of kitchen adventure outweighed the voice telling me to just go to the grocery story. We had some breakfast sausage left over from a brunch, and I always have brown rice and Craisins in my pantry, so I threw them all together. It took me a 2nd time to get the seasoning right (the first time it turned out kind of bland). I call it breakfast rice since the sausage I use most often for this is breakfast sausage, but it works perfectly fine as dinner, too. It only takes about 15 minutes to make and cook if you use the quick-cook rice. If you want it more breakfast-y, scramble some eggs on the side and then mix in after the rice is cooked.

Cranberry Sausage Breakfast Rice

Ingredients

2 cups brown rice, quick-cook style*

1 ¾ c. water*

¾ c. cranberry raisins (Craisins)**

6 Ekrich breakfast sausage smoky links, sliced**

1 Tbsp. butter

salt and pepper generously

sprinkling of garlic powder

*Adjust the amount of rice vs. water for the specific type of brown rice you get. Directions should be on the package.
** These amounts can also be adjusted, depending on how ‘chunky’ you want your rice. These are just the amounts I used.

Directions

Add water, butter, sausage, craisins, and seasonings to a sauce pan. Bring to a boil.

Add rice, and mix.

Return to a boil, then cover, reduce heat and simmer for the time on the rice packaging (mine was 5 minutes with the quick-cook rice).

I know it’s been awhile since I did a recipe post, but the wait was worth it. Because I’m back with a bang – this white wine marinara with sausage over tortellini is tasty. It’s a recipe I learned from my older sister and her boyfriend over Christmas. Though, I didn’t write it down, so it was thrown together from memory and might not be exactly like they make it, but it turned out delicious anyway. Really, the sauce is the star of this entree, and can be served over any sort of pasta, we’re just partial to tortellini. And […]

Today I’m sharing one of my favorite things to make as a kid: monkey bread! Also known as pull-apart bread. To be fair, I still really like making and eating it as an adult, too. There’s lots of different recipes and variations out there on how to make monkey bread, but this is the way my mom taught me so of course I think this is the best way. But if you’re feeling really adventurous, you can toss in some raisins or walnuts or whatever into the mix. I don’t think it needs it, personally, but to each their own. […]

This is one of my all-time favorite sweets around the holidays: sweet, decadent chocolate fudge. My mom has been making this around Christmas for as long as I can remember, and since I’ve lived down here in Texas I’ve taken on making it on my own. Surprisingly, it’s actually a simple recipe. I made a batch to take to Florida with us, and I think it only took -maybe- 15-20 minutes. And the deliciousness is so worth it. I suppose you could throw stuff on top as it cools, like candy cane bits or nuts or sprinkles. But just plain […]

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If you’re looking for more perfect-for-fall recipes, I’ve got one for you right here. I originally found this on a recipe card from Taste of Home magazine, but modified it for the size of my slow cooker (2.5 qt.) and specific veggie preferences (the original called for mushrooms – ew). We tried this out last night, and it was delicious! The apple cider and cinnamon give it a really nice flavor, and the long cook time makes the beef fall-apart tender. Plus it made the house smell AMAZING while it cooked. I’ve tried a few different beef stew recipes in […]

We hosted a brunch this past weekend, which gave me the perfect opportunity to try out both the new oven and these two recipes my aunt passed along. Whenever she hosts a family gathering, you can bet that one morning will feature a tasty breakfast casserole. So I asked her for her recipe, and she sent it over, along with another one she thought I’d find yummy from some distant relation in the family. She was right. And the friends I had over for Brunch Test Kitchen agreed. In fact, there was no clear preference between these two, even though […]

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About

Hi, I'm Amanda!

I'm a self-employed graphic designer by day, and a crafty hungry bookworm by night. Dragonflight Dreams is where I write about books, recipes, internet goodies, life things, crafty projects, Austin happenings, and more.

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